Office of Health Disparities Reduction Website

Thursday, March 28, 2013

The recent tech changes have required us to move to a new channel at YouTube. All of our six previsouly produced videos have stayed in place, but we have linked to them at our new channel, along with some new additions.

The March Utah Health Status Update focuses on health disparities and the social determinants of health. Nationally, more and more public health efforts are looking at ways to address social determinants. This short article is a good starting point for understanding social determinants and their relationship to health disparities.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

CDC NPIN presents In the Know: Social Media for Public HealthCDC NPIN invites you to participate in their upcoming webcast series, In the Know: Social Media for Public Health. The second in a series of six webcasts, In the know: LinkedIn and Slideshare for Public Health, will take place on Tuesday, March 12 at 2 p.m. EST.

Each webcast focuses on a different social media channel and will inform on how to use and integrate them strategically into public health communication plans. The webcasts are live events with presentations and interactive sections. Use hashtag #sm4ph to follow along and ask questions on Twitter. You can also submit webcast questions to info@cdcnpin.org.

Profiles of Medicaid Outreach and Enrollment Strategies: One-on-One Assistance Through Community Health Centers in UtahThis brief provides insight into lessons learned from Medicaid and CHIP outreach and enrollment strategies that can help inform implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage expansions by profiling a successful enrollment assistance initiative among health centers in Utah. The brief is part of the "Getting Into Gear for 2014" series examining key implementation issues as states prepare for the ACA coverage expansions.

The rankings are easier to use this year, with interactive maps and new county-level trend graphs detailing changes over time for several measures, including children in poverty, unemployment, and quality of care.

DESCRIPTION OF SCHOLARSHIP
The mission of the Utah Asian Charitable Foundation (UACF) Scholarship is to foster future leaders for the Asian American community. The UACF offer scholarship to Asian students in Utah under two categories: 1) students with financial need, 2). students who have demonstrated strong scholarship, leadership and community services. Scholarships are range from $500 to $1500.

The 2013 UACF Scholarship will be awarded at the Utah Asian Chamber of Commerce Annual Gala at 6:00 pm. on Saturday, May 11, 2013, at Salt Lake City Hilton. All scholarship winners must be present at the Gala. Winners will be notified no later than by April 12th.

ELIGIBILITYApplicants must be an undergraduate student at a college, university, or any other institution of higher learning within the State of Utah. Candidate must be in good academic standing and making satisfactory academic progress (as formally defined by the institution) towards the student’s program objective (degree, diploma, or certificate). Students who have received more than 2 UACF scholarships in the past are not eligible.

APPLICATION MATERIALSA completed and signed UACF Scholarship Application with attached response to questions. Please type your response to the following requested information on a separate sheet of paper. Be concise and limit your response to a total of two pages maximum. Write a brief personal history that includes:

Academic, professional, and personal goals.

Reasons why you feel you are a viable candidate for this scholarship.

Scholarly or vocational accomplishments, honors, special awards, or recognition you have received.

Community and school involvement; include leadership positions and/or activities.

Personal barriers/hardships you have had to overcome to achieve your educational goals.

A copy of applicant’s college transcript.

Two letters of recommendation.

Documentation(s) of any other expected financial assistance and/or what the applicant has already received for 2012-2013, whether the funding source is public or private.

Most recent documentation of FINANCIAL NEED by submitting one of the following: o A copy of applicant’s Financial Aid Award letter

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

All job postings close at 12:01 a.m. MST on the closing date of the job announcement. For example, if the listed closing date is January 10th, then the last day you can apply is up to midnight on January 9th.Job Title: Tobacco Health EducatorSalary: $36,672 - $42,336 AnnuallySalary Grade: 22 - 24Opening Date: 03/14/2013 Closing Date: 03/22/2013Position Type: Full-Time Work Hours: 40Department: Human Services Division: Salt Lake Valley Health Department-2150Section: Tobacco Work Location: Salt Lake County Government Center - 2001 South State StreetImportant Information:

The mission of the Salt Lake County Health Department is to promote and protect community and environmental health. To help reach their goals and objectives, there is an exciting opportunity for a passionate Health Educator in the area of Tobacco Prevention and Education.

Degrees in Sociology, Psychology, Parks, Recreation, Physical Education or Exercise & Sports Science will not be considered for this position. The Consumer Health emphasis of the Health Promotion and Education degree from the University of Utah will also not be considered.

A background check may be required.

This recruitment may also be used to hire additional Health Educator positions with different areas of expertise, such as Tobacco, Injury Prevention, Cardiovascular, Dental Health, Cancer, Healthy Lifestyles, STD/HIV, and others. Applicants should list all related work experience.

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in Health Education, Health Science, Public Health, Community Health, or Behavioral Science and Health with an emphasis in Health Education, or other closely related degree; OR an equivalent combination of related education and experience.

It is mandatory all new hires receive the Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria & Pertussis) vaccine before beginning employment.

Possession of a valid driver’s license at the time of hire and reliable means of transportation.

BACKGROUND:The BeWise program offers free breast and cervical cancer screenings and cardiovascular disease examinations to mid and low-income, underinsured, or uninsured women ages 50-64 years old. It is designed to provide these women with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities to improve their diet, physical activity, and other life habits to prevent, delay or control cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions.

SCOPE OF WORK:Women that participate in the BeWise program have several additional measurements taken during their annual breast and cervical exam. Measurements include: height, weight, BMI, cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose, and A1C (if they are diabetic). After the initial exam, the client meets with a lifestyle coach and together, they work to develop a healthier lifestyle plan for the client. The purpose of this position will be to provide lifestyle coaching for women in the BeWise program both face-to-face in the clinic and follow-up via telephone. Staff will also be asked to provide classes on nutrition or physical activity for the participants in the BeWise program.

REQUIREMENTS:

Junior or Senior student in one of the following areas: Public Health, Community Health, Health Education and/or Health Promotion. Bachelor’s degree or higher preferred

Must be a fluent Spanish speaker (approx. 60% clientele are Spanish speaking)

Must be able to effectively communicate with a diverse group of women ages 50 – 64

Must be comfortable leading nutrition and beginner level exercise classes

Must have a reliable means of transportation (to go to office, clinics, and classes)

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Provide lifestyle coaching in improving health behaviors

Assist women in setting SMART goals as part of the lifestyle coaching session

One of the key goals of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is to reduce the number of uninsured through a Medicaid expansion and the creation of health insurance exchange marketplaces with advance premium tax credits to help moderate-income individuals pay for this coverage. Given that people of color are at disproportionate risk of being uninsured and having low incomes, the ACA coverage expansions could particularly benefit communities of color and advance efforts to eliminate disparities. The Family Kaiser Family Foundation has developed a brief that provides an overview of health coverage by race and ethnicity today to provide greater insight into the potential impacts of the ACA coverage expansions for people of color.

The world’s largest food and beverage manufacturers must do more to increase access to nutritious products and positively exercise their influence on consumer choice and behavior, says thefirst edition of the global Access to Nutrition Index (ATNI) report and rankings.The report assesses the nutrition-related commitments, performance and disclosure practices of 25 of the world’s largest food and beverage manufacturers as measured against international guidelines, norms and accepted best practices.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) will expand access to affordable health insurance for millions of Americans, however, a significant number will be excluded from the Medicaid expansion due to their immigration status. This brief provides the first state-specific estimates of the number of uninsured, low-income adults, that will potentially be excluded from the Medicaid expansion because of their immigration status.

The brief concludes that safety-net health care providers are likely to continue to be key providers for this population after health reform, and the need for safety-net care will not be spread evenly across states. The capacity of safety-net providers to fill this gap will need to be assessed.

While all states will need to develop strategies for meeting the health care needs of these adults, the challenges will be particularly difficult for safety-net providers in states with large numbers of immigrants who will not be eligible for Medicaid.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

The
Bureau of Epidemiology will be offering a 5-day “Bridging the Gap” medical
interpreter training course in May 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31, 2013.This training will be held at the Department
of Workforce Service (1385 State St) - in Salt Lake City, Utah. Classes
will begin promptly at 8:00 am and will continue until 5:00 pm.

There
will be no registration fee to attend this training and the course materials
will be provided to you free of charge.However, participants will be expected to attend the course in its
entirety.In addition to being fluent
in English, all applicants MUST be fluent in a second language and
must be willing to act as medical interpreters.Priority will be given to applicants who work within the refugee health,
Tuberculosis control, HIV, STD & Hepatitis prevention setting. Participants
who miss any portion of the training will be required to leave the course
materials and the training.

All
participants who attend the entire forty-hour training and successfully
complete the final exam will receive a certificate of completion.If you have staff whom you think could
benefit from this course, please complete an application and return
it by April 19, 2013.Enrollment
is limited to 20 participants, so, it is critical that only those persons
willing to commit to the entire forty-hour course apply.

For copies of the application or questions concerning this course, contact Jelena Pasalic, UDOH, at jpasalic@utah.govor at (801) 538-6977. We look forward
to seeing your applications.

Want to know where you can't buy fresh, healthful food? The USDA has the map for you.

The feds' new Food Access Research Atlas lets you find out just where it's difficult to buy broccoli or bananas in counties across the U.S. The atlas, which is a big upgrade from the USDA's two-year-old Food Desert Locator, is intended as a tool for state policymakers, local planners, and nonprofit groups concerned about food access.

"People can get a more detailed picture of exactly what challenges they encounter in getting to the grocery store," says Paula Dutko, an economist for the USDA Economic Research Service who helped craft the atlas.

Dutko and her crew added in data on whether households have vehicles, because that can make a huge difference in grocery shopping. And they added more choices for distance from a store, including 20 miles for rural areas, instead of just 10.

Access by bus or train isn't on the map, Dutko says, because there isn't national data.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

The Office of Adolescent Health announces the availability of Fiscal Year 2013 (FY13) HHS Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) funds for competitively awarded grants for the development and implementation of programs for expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers, and their families. The Pregnancy Assistance Fund grant programs are designed to strengthen access to and completion of secondary and postsecondary education; improve health outcomes for mothers and children; improve pregnancy planning and spacing and reduce the likelihood of repeat teen pregnancies; increase parenting skills for mothers, fathers, and their families, decrease intimate partner violence; strengthen co-parenting relationships and marriage where appropriate; and raise awareness of available resources among expectant and parenting teens.

States or tribes are eligible to apply. For specifics about eligibility please refer to the complete funding announcement which can be accessed by entering the FOA number (AH-SP1-13-001) or CFDA number (93.500) on the Grants.gov search page:www.grants.gov/search/basic.do.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Apollconducted by National Public Radio (NPR), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), and Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) shows a large a gap between parents’ perceptions of their children’s weight and expert definitions. According to their parents, 15 percent of children are a little or very overweight, while national data suggest more than twice as many, or 32 percent of all children, are overweight orobese. In addition, only 20 percent of children in households that participated in this poll had a parent who was concerned that his or her child will be overweight as an adult. However, it is estimated that 69 percent of adults are overweight, including 36 percent who are obese and an additional 6 percent who have “extreme obesity.” Together, these results indicate that parents may underestimate their children’s current risk for being overweight or obese, and how that risk could continue to impact them as adults.Robert Wood Johnson FoundationChildhood Obesity Weekly Policy Update